It is known to use dimmers for brightness control of a lighting device. In lighting devices operating on the basis of conventional lamps such as incandescent bulbs, brightness regulation can take place in the dimmer via phase gating control or phase chopping control of the supply voltage of the lighting device. In the process, the power of the lighting device is reduced by virtue of a short-term interruption to the supply voltage being effected after or prior to the zero crossing of the supply voltage, with the result that, depending on the duration of the interruption, the power of the lighting device is reduced.
Furthermore, it is also known to use control devices in which brightness control takes place via special control signals which are transmitted to the lighting device. Electronic control gear (ECG) provided in the lighting device evaluates these control signals and adjusts the brightness correspondingly. This type of control is suitable in particular for lighting devices which are based on lamps in the form of gas discharge lamps or light-emitting diodes.